Can body blank forming machine



Sept. 18, 1962 E. LAXO CAN BODY BLANK FORMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1960 Sept. 18, 1962 E. LAXO CAN BODY BLANK FORMING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1960 INVENTOR. E0 L4X0 gwflfi y 47 TTOEA/EY Sept. 18, 1962 E. LAXO CAN BODY BLANK FORMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 29, 1960 TIL FIL A TTOENE Y Unite tates This invention relates to a hook forming or folding machine for forming hooks on or folding the edges of can body blanks. The hooks so formed are intended to interlock to form the side seam of a tubular can body. The machine also has equal application to a notching and slitting operation wherein can body blanks are notched and slit for purposes of clearance at the junction of the side seam of a can body and the double end seam which is formed when an end or cover is applied to a can body. The hook forming or folding operation referred to is well known in the can making art and is illustrated in my prior Patent No. 2,569,181 granted September 25, 1951, entitled Can Body Blank Hook Forming Apparatus. The notching and slitting operation referred to is also well known in the can making art and is illustrated in my prior Patent No. 2,577,021, granted December 4, 1951, entitled Apparatus for Notching Can Body Blanks.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 670,483 entitled Can Body Blank Forming Machine, filed July 8, 1957 and now abandoned.

For convenience and brevity, the description hereinafter will be directed mainly to a hook forming operation and apparatus.

In the past, can body blank hook forming or folding machines and can body blank notching and slitting machines have employed slides for the purpose of actuating the hook forming or folding tools and punches. In the past the slides have had to be set with a 0.002 or 0.003 inch clearance, otherwise they will gall or score. But with a clearance of this magnitude another difiiculty develops, particularly in a notching and slitting machine. Thus in the latter a play of 0.002 to 0.003 inch frequently results in cuts which are not clean and sharp. Similar difiiculties are experienced with hook forming machines.

To avoid these difficulties a rocker type of mounting has been employed instead of a slide mounting. A rocker mounting overcomes the difficultiy of excessive play and it is easy to lubricate but it is difiicult to adjust with the desired degree of precision.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved means for mounting the folding or hook forming elements of the folder station of a can body forming machine and for mounting the punches of the notching and slitting station of a can body forming machine.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a means whereby the folder steels of a body blank hook forming machine and the punches of a can body blank notching and slitting machine are operated by a slide mechanism, such slide mechanism being of a character that it is easily lubricated, that it does not gall and score easily, that it can be adjusted readily and with precision and that it can be set to a very close tolerance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character and for the purpose described in which the slide element is readily adjusted to the proper degree of tightness Without, however, interfering with high speed operation, and which permits close metal-to-metal contact without the need for thick films of lubricants.

Yet another object is to provide an improved mounting for the folder steels of a hook forming machine.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claims.

atet One form of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGUREI is a view partly in vertical section and part y in side elevation of the machine of the present invention as embodied in a can body blank folding or hook forming machine.

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the machine as seen from the right of FIGURE 1 but with certain parts removed.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view as seen from above FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, the machine is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. It comprises a frame 11, a lefthand hook forming or folder assembly 12a, and a righthand hook forming or folder assembly 12b. These assemblies are referred to hereinafter as folder assemblies. The view shown in FIGURE 1 is looking upstream, that is, in the direction from which can body blanks come to the machine. The left-hand and right-hand designations employed, although reversed in FIGURE 1, refer to the right and left-hand directions as they would be seen from the input or upstream end looking toward the downstream end of the machine.

Operation of the folder assemblies 12a and 12b is identical except that the hooks are formed downwardly by the left-hand assembly 12a and upwardly by the righthand assembly 12b.

A feed table is provided at 11a and a can body blank is shown at 13. A slide 14 is provided which is slideably mounted in the frame 11 by the means described hereinafter. The slide 14 is actuated by any suitable means, such as a crankshaft (not shown) and a connecting rod 15 which is pivotally connected to the slide at 16. The same crankshaft may be employed to operate synchronously other parts of a can body blank forming assembly, such as notching and slitting machines (notshown).

Referring now to FIGURES l, 3 and 4, the slide 14 is formed on opposite sides (i.e., to left and right as viewed in FIGURE 3) with vertical V-shaped grooves 17 which mate With similar grooves 18 formed in gibs 19 and 20. These grooves are shown best in FIGURE 4. Referring to FIGURE 3, the gib 20 is shown adjacent a similar gib 2011 which performs a similar function for an adjacent notching and slitting machine (not shown). Cap screws 25 clamp the gibs 20 and 20a in place. Cap screws 25a are also provided for the left-hand gib 19 but they pass through elongated slots 26 formed in the gib 19 to permit adjustment thereof. Adjustment is accomplished by means of set screws 27. As is best shown in FIGURE 4, each set screw 27 has a tapered inner end which is wedged between the gib 19 and the frame. Therefore by screwing the set screws 27 farther in, the gib 19 is pushed toward the slide 14.

As will be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, hardened steel ballbearings 28 are located in the vertical passages formed by the V-grooves 17 and 18. The ballbearings 28 are seated in holes 29a formed in retainer plates 29. When the set screws 27 have been adjusted so that the slide 14 has a snug fit, the cap screws 25a are tightened to clamp the slide 14 securely in adjusted position. It will be noted that there are no top or bottom supports for the retainer plates 29. These are held by the ballbearings 28 which in turn are held by pressure of the gibs 19 and 20 and the slide 14. To the extent that the balls 28 move up and down with the slide the retainer plates 29 also move up and down but their movement is limited and they do not tend to work out at the top or drop out at the bottom.

The ballbearing mounting just described and illustrated in the drawings is very advantageous. It provides antifriction means of a mechanical character. Also means are provided to form a tight fit, without too much play or too much tightness. Adequate access is provided for lubrication. A slide of this character is capable of operating at high speed over long periods of time. Breakdowns during operation are reduced to a minimum. High speed, efficient operation is obtained and servicing such as lubrication and periodic adjustments are greatly'facilitated.

The mounting thus described and illustrated is particularly advantageous in the case of a matching and slitting machine. As explained above precise adjustment is desirable in the case of a notching and slitting machine. In a rocker type, precise adjustment is difiicult. In previous slide mountings lubrication difficulties have been encountered. By means of my ballbearing slide mounting,

precise adjustment is permissible, lubrication is easy and onlya very thin film of lubricant need be maintained.

Reverting now to the folding operation, just before a can body is folded it must be clamped to the feed table, which is indicated by the reference numeral 11a. This is accomplished by a'clamp 30 on a rocker 31 which is pivoted on the frame H at 32. Extension 31a of rocker 31 carries a cam follower roller 33 which rides on a cam 34 which is clamped to the slide 14 by gibs 35 and cap screws 36 (see FIGURES 3 and 4); The cam 34 has a low dwell 4!), a rise 41 and a high dwell 42. When the slide 14. starts to descend'the roller 33 rides up the rise 41 onto the high dwell 42 which pivots'the rocker ex- .tension 31a, rocker 31 and clamp 30 in counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1, thereby effectively clamping the can body blank 13 to the feed table lla.

The cam 34 is adjusted by loosening the cap screws 36, moving the cam vertically to the desired position and then tightening the cap screws. 7 e

The folding or hook forming tools comprise a stationary folder steel 44 which is fixed to the frame 11 and which I holder 49 in clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1 thereby folding the 90 hook through a further angle of 60, corresponding to the angle of the lip or overhang 45 of the stationary folder steel 44.

The above described rocking motion of the holder 49 compresses the spring 60. Therefore, when the slide 14 commences its up stroke the spring 60 acts to rock the holder 49 back toward its normal vertical position, thereby clearing the lip 47 from the lip 45 and permitting return of the holder 49 to its up position.

Referring to the left-hand side of FIGURE 1, i.e., the right-hand folding assembly 12b, it will be seen that the construction and operation are substantially the same as the construction and operation of the left-hand folder assembly 12a. However, as will be seen, the holder 49 is held in elevated position by the respective spring 60; i.e., it does not hang like the right-hand holder 49. Also, the stationary folder steel 44 is mounted on the clamp 30 and the guide steel 30a is mounted on the frame 11. The movable folder steel 46 moves up to form a 90'' bend and then in to form a 60 bend It will be apparent that the slide mechanism illustrated in the drawings and described hereinabove has equal application to and has special advantages with a notching and slitting operation. Thus, in place of the movable folder steels 46, punches would'be employed and in place of the stationary folder steels 44, cooperable female dies would be employed. Also, it is not necessary in the case of notching and slitting punches, to mount them on a pivotal holder, such as the holder '49; The punches may be fixed in relation to the slide 14. I a d It will, therefore, be apparent that a machine has been provided which is capable of forming hooks on can body blanks, also of' form'ing slits and notches in can body has an upper, plane horizontal surface 11b, which is flush K with and is an extension of the feed table 11a. It also has a projecting or overhanging lip 45 whose undersurface has a 30 slant from the horizontal. The other folding or hook forming tool is a movable member which is'carried by the slide 14. This movable folding tool is the folder steel 46. As will be apparent, it likewise hasan over:

' hanging lip 47 whose upper surface has a slant, which is shown at'48, of 30 from the horizontal. A steel insert 30a fixed to the clamp 30 serves as a gauge and guide for projecting inwardly from the top of the slide 14. The

holder 49 is cored out at to receive the head of a bolt 56 which extends through a passage 57 in the holder 49 and a passage'58 in the slide 14. A boss 59 on the holder 49 abuts the adjacent vertical face of the slide 14 to limit swinging of the holder 49 to the right (as viewed in FIG- URE l) and to normally locate the holder in vertical position, in which it isheld by a coiled spring 60 which is located in an enlarged portion of passage '58. The spring 60 is compressed by a washer 61 and nut 62 and is locked in place by a lock'nut 63. It will, therefore, be seen that the holder 49'and movable folder steel 46 are normally. held in vertical position. Hence, as the slide 14 moves down the lip 47 on the movable folder steel 46 will bend the adjacent, overhanging edge of the can body blank 13 and will turn it downwardly at a 90 angle.

A rocker cam 65 is formed on the lower end of the holder 49. The rocker cam 65 is intended to engage a roller. 66 which is mounted on the frame of the machine and is.best shown in FIGURE 2. Such engagement occurs before the slide 14 reaches the limit of its down stroke, and the roller 66 acts on the cam 65 to rock the blanks, such machine being capable of operating at high speed and having'advantages such as easy accessibility, ease of lubrication, ease and precision of adjustment, and dependable operation at high speed over extended periods of time. V V a I claim: a i V 1. A can body blank forming machine of the charac- 'ter described comprising: a longitudinally extended horizontal feed table having parallel edges extending. along its length and at least one work station located along said table intermediate its ends, said workstation comprising; a stationary frame, a slide, means mounting said slide for vertical, reciprocating movement in said frame and a tool carried by said slide for performing a metal forming operation .on an edge ofa can body blank closely adjacent one of said edges of the table, suchoperation being performedat high speed and solely on such edge of the body blank and with the tool moving closely adjacent the table, said mounting means being in the form of a notched portion of each side ofsaid slide, an opposed registering notched portion of said frame on each side of the slide, and a plurality of ball bearings seated within each pair. of opposed registering notches;

2. .The machine .of claim 1 wherein said notches. are V-shaped incross section. V, V j

3. The machine of claim 1 includinga cage for each set of, ball bearings, each said cage being in the form of a plate with a row of holes extending therethrough, said bearings being seated, in said holes. 7

4. The machine of claim 1 wherein said tool is a folding tool for folding a projecting edge of a can body blank into a hook adapted to form a can body side seam.

' References Cited in the file of this patent f UNITED STATES PATENTS 

